


The Curious Case of Count Wu

by The_Consulting_Werewolf



Series: The Krisho Whodunit Files [5]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Bottom Wu Yi Fan | Kris, Eventual Smut, M/M, Pet Shop of Horrors AU, Top Kim Junmyeon | Suho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-12-26 06:40:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18277856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Consulting_Werewolf/pseuds/The_Consulting_Werewolf
Summary: Det. Junmyeon Kim of the LAPD is a serious man who has no time for bullshit. But then, of course, a string of strange deaths leads him to Count Wu, a man who manages to turn his whole world upside down.





	The Curious Case of Count Wu

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So, this fic is largely inspired by Pet Shop of Horrors by Matsuri Akino. I tried to be faithful to the source, so if you have not read it or seen the anime, please be free to ask me questions! And, this has bottom!Kris in this, so if that is not your cup of tea, then don't read :)))
> 
> Enjoy this mess!

Junmyeon scowls as he gazes at the front of the shop. The board over the door reads Count Wu’s Pet Shop, first in English and then in Mandarin. The shop is in Chinatown, so it is not strange to see the bilingual lettering but all the shops tell you what they sell, this one only has an ornate board over the doors. Unlike any of the pet shops he had ever seen in his life, this shop does not have a display or a window. The shop has red walls, huge wooden doors and there are no other indications about the business at all. What the fuck sort of pet shop is it?

“So, are we going in or not, sir?” Junmyeon looks behind to find his sergeant ask him this question. Kiernan is a new addition to the team and this has been her first week. The sight of the corpse had her spooked and even now, she looks terrified yet a little excited. Junmyeon can understand that sort of twisted excitement. He was the same during his first homicide. This one is a homicide too, possibly.

“Let’s.”

Junmyeon raises a hand to knock on the door but as soon as his knuckles touch the wood, the doors slowly swing back, revealing a dimly lit corridor. He is a bit startled by that and as he turns around to check if Kiernan saw it too, he finds her nonplussed, so he shakes it off. Maybe the door was already open and maybe the lightest touch pushed it open. The sunlight pours in, spreading on the marble floor and the dust particles swirl, rising up. He peers in and finds dark red walls dotted with rococo lanterns and large picture frames. Kiernan whistles, “That does _not_ look like any pet shop I’d ever seen.”

Junmyeon cannot help but agree. He steps in, his skin prickling with the oddest sensation. The marble corridor ends after a few feet or so and he sees dark, heavy curtains at the very end. He clears his throat, “Excuse me? LAPD, we have some questions. We would like to see the manager? Or anyone?”

The curtains part, and as the drapes are pushed back, a tall man in a traditional Chinese outfit steps out. Junmyeon first sees his large hands, the long nails on them, painted black and then the rich embroidery on his red cheongsam. Finally, Junmyeon raises his head and looks at the man’s face. His jaw almost drops. He even hears Kiernan take a deep, shaky breath behind him.

The man is _too perfect_. He has long, midnight black hair, falling down in gentle waves caressing his face, which is distracting at best. The most startling thing on that face—besides the smooth, flawless skin, the high cheekbones, small mouth and strong eyebrows—are the eyes. As he blinks and smiles at them, Junmyeon is surprised to see they are heterochromatic: one is a rich, golden yellow shade and the other is jewel tone mauve. He has seen mismatched eye colours before, but yellow and mauve? That is new. Maybe he is wearing contacts.

The man holds Junmyeon’s gaze, steady, unnerving. Junmyeon can’t look away and he feels his heart clenching as the man smiles. He bows, straightens up and asks, “Yes, how may I help?”

Junmyeon knows he is supposed to say something back, but this close, he is entranced. The man smells like incense and tea and something rich, dark, heady he can’t place. His eyes sparkle in the low lights and Junmyeon realises those are _definitely_ not contacts, especially when the pupils dilate slightly as they rest on Junmyeon. However, Kiernan seems to still have her senses with her and she says, “We are from the homicide department, we are investigating a possible murder.”

The man scowls, “I am sorry, but I don’t understand?”

The man turns to look at Kiernan and Junmyeon is finally able to snap from the strange effect the man is having on him. He clears his throat and pulls out the evidence bag from the pocket of his jacket. He waves it in front of the man’s face and says, “This, we found this contract among the victim’s effects and he seems to have purchased a pet from you three days ago. Today, he was found dead in his apartment. And the lizard you sold him was also dead, lying atop him. But that’s not it, we—”

The man’s eyes widen and he gasps, interrupting Junmyeon, “Medusa is dead? Oh no!” Kiernan and Junmyeon share a look. The man seems upset as he mumbles, “Oh no, no, no, my little precious girl.”

 Junmyeon lets the man steep in his sadness for a moment before saying, “Okay, listen, we had some questions…”

The man looks, now a bit more mollified and nods, “Of course, of course, please come with me.”

He turns around and motions at Junmyeon and Kiernan to follow. He parts the curtains and steps behind them. Kiernan and Junmyeon share another look as they part the curtains and step inside. The room is smoky and as dimly lit as the corridor. The scent of incense is strong here and Junmyeon recognises it as sandalwood. There are plush, opulent seating arrangements and the carpet under their feet sinks under their weight. The walls here are mustard yellow and there are more gilded lanterns here as well.

The most startling of it all, both police officers find, are the number of animals lounging around the room. There are two cats—one white and the other black—which are normal, but then they see a dove, a sheep and a raccoon. They all look up when the officers enter, peer at them with much curiosity but then go back to doing what they were doing, that is, nap or preen themselves. The man smiles, “Don’t be afraid, they are all tame.” One of the cats, the black one with startling green eyes, looks up, flicks its tail and purrs, as if wanting to say the contrary.

Kiernan and Junmyeon sit down one of the couches and the man pours them tea. He sits down on a chair opposite and crosses his legs, a genial smile on his face as he asks, “Now, may I ask what a death of a man has to do with me, or my shop?”

Junmyeon leans forward, “Well, introductions are in order first. I am detective Junmyeon Kim and this is Sergeant Kiernan Shipka.”

“I am Yifan, but most people call me Count Wu,” the man says.

“Count Wu?” Kiernan asks, before she can help herself. She won’t lie, this man is endlessly fascinating and she is so very confused but so inquisitive.

Yifan chuckles, “Count Wu is my grandfather and he started this shop. People tend to stick that name on me too.”

“Okay,” Junmyeon says, “Count Wu, now, we need to ask you some questions.”

“Of course.” Yifan leans back and clasps his hands on his knees.

“So, as I said, we found a man dead, and he had purchased a pet from you. The cause of death is unknown but the reason that brought us here was how we found similar pet contracts in two more unexplained deaths in the last few months.”

Yifan cups his face as he leans on the armrest, his eyes glimmering, as if he is amused by this. “Oh? And?”

Junmyeon scowls, “The first death was a man near Venice Beach, his face and throat slashed as if attacked by a tiger and all we found was a tapestry of a tiger and your contract. The second deaths were of an old couple found in their mansion in Beverley surrounded by at least two dozen dead rabbits. And this is the third; so naturally, we are very interested to understand why you are involved in them all.”

The corner of Yifan’s lips quirk up and he says, “I did sell the tapestry to that man, and that old couple did buy a rabbit from me, but I fail to understand how their deaths can be relevant to me.”

Kiernan scowls; the pet shop owner has a very valid point. She doesn’t understand what her senior is trying to get at. She glances at Junmyeon as she sips her tea, which is this light floral blend and she decides she likes it. Junmyeon seems to be taken aback as well, trying to find the right way to answer that. He doesn’t have any proof but he knows this strange man must have something to do with the deaths. The more he looks at Yifan, the more he sees the enigmatic smile and the amused gaze, the more he is convinced that _something_ is very, very wrong here.

The raccoon pads up to Yifan and noses at his slippers. Yifan bends over and scratches the back of its ear. He says, “Now, officers, if you don’t mind, I need to feed little Taozi here.”

Junmyeon knows that this is their cue to leave but he can’t brush off the extreme feeling of something missing. He gets to his feet, Kiernan following and they leave the room. When they are in the sunlight outside, Kiernan exhales, “Phew! That was weird.”

Junmyeon crosses his arms and looks back at the shop, his skin still prickling. Weird is an understatement.

 

Yifan presses his lips as the doors close behind the officers. He taps his chin as he thinks. Poor Medusa. He remembers giving her away to Robin Hendrix, a man who was once an actor, a one hit wonder. He was lonely, upset and Yifan really did think that Medusa would be helpful. But humans are tragic creatures. They won’t find anything on Medusa though; she was a rare species but he knows the law and he knows the detectives won’t get him for anything.

_Yifan finds Robin standing among the terrariums, glancing lovingly at the two chameleons perched on the tree branches. Robin Hendrix is a regular; he is a reptile enthusiast and Yifan has sold him snakes and lizards before. Robin even buys his pet supplies from him, so he thinks it may be another supply run, so he asks, “I did get a shipment of frozen mice, should I pack you some?”_

_Robin shakes his head and the lights glint off his platinum blond hair. His light blue eyes look tired and sad as he says, “No, I am stocked for the next few days. I was actually hoping to get someone new.”_

_Yifan frowns, “I thought your wife had you promise no more new pets?”_

_Robin smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes, “Well, she has left me, so I see no harm in it.”_

_Yifan senses the deep, overwhelming melancholy in Robin’s heart. He smiles, he knows what the man needs right now. He claps his hand, “I think I have just the thing for you!”_

_Yifan beckons Robin to follow him down the corridor behind the main reception in his shop. They stop in front of a door and Robin says, “Wow, I didn’t know the back of your shop was this expansive.”_

_“I only keep the rarest of the rare here.”_

_Yifan opens a door and tendrils of smoke escape the room, the rich sandalwood scent wrapping its fingers around them. Yifan steps in, parting a thin curtain and waves his hand, “There. I present to you one of the rarest reptiles on earth mister Hendrix.”_

_Robin looks in and sees only smoke for a second before his vision adjusts and the smoke thins out. He gasps when he sees a woman with deep wine hair seated on the chair and a blindfold on her eyes. She is dressed in a purple gown with long sleeves and rows of beaded necklaces adorn her long, pale, slender neck. Robin is transfixed, even if he can’t see her eyes, she is beautiful. But he chuckles, “Now, now Count Wu, I know I just told you that my wife had left but this is a bit too much.”_

_Yifan smiles; he walks over to the woman and lifts the hem of her dress. Robin gasps when he sees the woman has no feet, only a large, silver tail. Yifan quips, “She is a lizard, whatever are you talking about?”_

_Robin agreed to take her home right then and there. Yifan handed him the contract, and it only had three terms: one, only feed her fresh fruits and insects; two, Robin cannot show her to anyone else; and three, Robin must not remove her blindfold and look into her eyes under any circumstance. When asked, Yifan told him, “While it is not uncommon for reptiles to be poisonous, Medusa is a little different. Her gaze turns men to stone, Mister Hendrix, you must remember that.”_

And he lasted two months, didn’t he? If he stuck to the terms this long, that means he wilfully untied her blindfold. Yet, his heart still pains for Medusa. She was a rare beauty. Then, he smiles; that detective was a beauty too. He is never interested much in humans but the detective is different. The soft brown hair, the pretty almond-shaped eyes—he knows he will be seeing them again.

“Gege! I don’t like eating this, you know that!”

Yifan sighs and turns around to find his “raccoon”, Tao, complain with his mouth full. Yifan rolls his eyes, “No, you are getting too fat. I won’t allow anymore junk food for you. Stop whining.”

The others—Lu Han, Xiumin, Chen and Yixing—quietly eat their lunch though Lu Han sends Tao a smug look that means he will be teasing the other about his weight gain soon. Yifan just shakes his head as he sips his third cup of tea for the day.

 

Junmyeon groans as he holds his head in his hands. The cause of death is still unknown, and the new information from the manager of Robin Hendrix is not helping. Apparently, Hendrix botched an audition a week before his death, which can mean only thing—he tried to kill himself. But if he did, where is the proof of it in his body?

Kiernan walks up to him and he looks up, hoping for good news but the neutral expression on her face tells him otherwise. She puts a file on his desk and says, “So, samples from the lizard prove it wasn’t a poisonous breed. It is also an extremely rare species. Comes from Greece, actually.”

Junmyeon groans some more and plants his head on the desk. Kiernan feels bad for him and leans against the desk. She says, “Let it go detective, maybe there is nothing to it?”

Junmyeon raises his head and frowns, “Listen, people’s hearts don’t just stop. The coroner didn’t even find any evidence of heart problems. How the fuck did he die then? I am sure that Count knows! He is not telling the truth, that lizard has to be involved and he is not telling us!” He straightens his spine and fumes, “And the other deaths? I am telling you that there is something!”

Kiernan presses her lips and narrows her eyes. She chews the inside of her cheek for a moment before saying, “Actually, I looked up Count Wu too. And there is surprisingly very little about him in our system.”

Junmyeon slaps the desk’s surface. “Of course there isn’t! He could be using that pet shop as a front for drugs or even trafficking!”

Kiernan shakes her head. “That is taking it too far.”

Junmyeon points at her, “Are you telling me that place didn’t look shady to you?”

Kiernan can’t deny, it did look “shady” but perhaps that was just the count’s aesthetics? She shakes her head again and rises from the desk. “I am going for lunch, do you need anything?”

Junmyeon shakes his head. “No, not hungry.”

“Suit yourself.”

He knows he has to eat, it is late afternoon and the last thing he ate was a protein bar and coffee for breakfast but he can’t quiet his brain. His fingers tap on the desk an unhinged rhythm that reflects the raging storm inside his head. He knows that count character is fishy, he got to be. He suddenly jumps to his feet and grabs his jacket. He needs to go see the man again.

Within minutes, he is in Chinatown again. He parks his car by a restaurant and walks the rest of the distance. He doesn’t enter the shop right away, choosing to stay outside and watch. He isn’t spying, not per se, really, is he? He is just, uh, gathering information. As he hangs by the corner opposite the pet shop, the door opens and a man exits. Junmyeon frowns when he recognises the man. It is Iason Baker, the man who recently made headlines after his famous wife died. What is he doing here?

Iason looks stressed, surprised and his hair is a mess as he unlocks his car. What got him in that state? The car, an expensive sedan, drives off and Junmyeon counts till sixty seconds before crossing the street. He raises his fist to knock on the door again when it swings back and Junmyeon almost stumbles in. He manages to catch himself before he could embarrass himself in any form. He walks in and pushes the curtain open, ready to accost Yifan to spill his secrets but halts when he finds the owner humming to himself as he eats some sort of pastry. He shuts his eyes and smiles so big, the happiness literally radiates off him and hits Junmyeon in waves. The police officer is truly lost. He doesn’t think he has ever seen a full-grown, adult man, who was only being insufferable yesterday, look so happy eating cake. Junmyeon shakes his head and clears his throat, “Mister Count.”

Yifan opens his eyes and they widen slightly but Junmyeon doesn’t see animosity in them, just plain delight as he says, “Ah, hello, officer. How can I help you today? And please just call me Yifan.”

Junmyeon came here thinking Yifan would be antagonistic, would tell him off or tell him to return with a warrant. Thus, this contrary behaviour throws him a curveball and he doesn’t quite know how to catch it. He gapes for a moment before collecting himself, “What, what was Iason Baker doing here?”

“Mister Baker? The manager to pop sensation Emily Holland?”

Junmyeon rolls his eyes. “Who else?”

Yifan tilts his head to the side. “Oh, he came here to collect the pet his wife ordered before her death.”

Junmyeon scowls, “What?”

Yifan nods, now pouring Junmyeon a cup of tea, “Yes. Seems like poor Emily Baker née Holland had ordered for a special breed of freshwater fish before she passed. She had a pond built in the new house she was supposed to move in with her husband but alas, as you know...” Yifan sighs, cupping his chin, his round, plump lips pouting, “Such a tragedy, no? Dying on the night of your wedding like that?”

Junmyeon accepts the cup and takes a sip. The tea tastes expensive. He thinks about the case; it is still unsolved. Some believe the husband pushed her, some believe she killed herself. There is no evidence for either and it has been driving one of his colleagues up the wall. He swears he saw Wes chewing his tie that day at his desk. But now, that Yifan is involved, Junmyeon is suddenly interested in the case.

Junmyeon sips his tea, his eyes narrowed at Yifan and his adorable pout. No, not adorable, maniacal, annoying maybe. Junmyeon doesn’t find Yifan attractive; the man is involved, he is sure and he is just curious. Yifan smiles at him again and his cheeks lift, his lashes fluttering. Junmyeon sucks in a deep, deep breath.

Yifan knows he is slowly getting under Junmyeon’s skin. The officer looks nice today. His light brown hair is a mess, like he had been running his fingers through it all day long. He is dressed simply in a white t-shirt and an olive bomber jacket with pale blue denims. Yifan eyes his thighs and slightly raises his eyebrow. He _really_ doesn’t take any interest in humans but this human is interesting—to say the least.

Junmyeon puts down the cup and gets to his feet. He fixes his jacket and glares, “Stay out of trouble Count. I don’t know why but I have a bad, bad feeling about you.”

Yifan just shrugs in response. That doesn’t, obviously, satisfy Junmyeon, who juts his lower lip out, and Yifan widens his smile. The officer then huffs, turns around and stalks out of the room. Yifan hears the doors shut and he chuckles softly under his breath.

“Why are you letting him just walk in here anytime?” a husky voice asks and a warmth covers Yifan’s back. Yifan turns his head around to see Xiumin, the ‘cat’, draping himself over his back, his pretty eyes rounded, searching and excited. Yifan runs a hand through his soft, ash grey hair and Xiumin smiles, butting his head against Yifan’s neck. Yifan says, “He is funny, isn’t he?”

Another joins them, this time it is Chen, the other cat. He scratches his head, his black hair fluffing up as he gazes at Yifan, his lips curled down as he says, “Fanfan finds the human man handsome, doesn’t he? I don’t understand humans or Fanfan right now.”

Yifan laughs, throwing his head back. His two cats share a confused glance.

 

Wes frowns, “And why should I tell you? Why the sudden interest? Don’t you have the wannabe actor’s death to solve?”

Junmyeon grits his teeth, reminding himself that he can’t just slam Wes’s head against the wall in anger—that won’t be very professional of him. He had bought coffee as an offering, so he hands Wes a Styrofoam cup and says, “Listen, please. I am interested.”

Wes takes the cup and still looks unconvinced. “But why?”

Junmyeon sighs and leans over the desk, “Just humour me, Wes, just this once, please.”

Wes groans, sipping the cup. “You got the good coffee, hm.” He puts the cup down and speaks, “Okay, so Iason and Emily had their wedding on a yacht off the bay and the party lasted into the night. Then, by the end of the party she jumped into the sea and her husband and her bridesmaid saw it. Now, the question is—”

“How? Right? Did she jump herself or did someone push her?”

Wes nods. “So far, we are closely looking at the bridesmaid, Fiona and the husband of course. Though he had little to profit from her death. I mean, she was a pop star and he her manager. She can’t bring him money if she is dead. And she didn’t even make a will or anything. Plus, the music company holds all her copyrights, not him.” He takes a long sip of his drink. “By the way, we found the lower half of her body in the stomach of a shark of all things.”

Junmyeon grimaces. “That’s new.”

Wes nods again, his jaw twitching. “Now, tell me why you are so interested?”

Junmyeon clasps his hands and says, “I saw the husband leaving the shop in Chinatown that I am investigating.”

Wes’s face slowly clears up. His grin widens and he slowly says, “Aha, the pet shop, right? Your sergeant was talking to Evan about it in the break room. I heard how you were rattled by the whole experience.”

Junmyeon cries, “I-I wasn’t rattled! He is shady, I am telling you!”

Wes rolls his eyes. “Oh come on, say you have a crush and move on.”

Junmyeon gets to his feet and frowns, “I am leaving. Enjoy your coffee, you asshole.” As he storms off to his desk, he can hear Wes cackle.

 

Just as Junmyeon thought, the Count gets involved again—indirectly of course. They get a visit from one of the suspects, Fiona Yardley three days after Junmyeon’s conversation with Wes. She rushes into the police station late one night and barges into the chief’s office with tears running down her face. Junmyeon was eating his dinner at his desk with Wes, Evan and Kiernan when they see Fiona running down the hall. They all share a look and immediately forget all about eating as they march towards the chief’s office. The door is open, so they can hear Fiona cry out loud and clear, “You have to help him, please!”

Wes pushes himself into the office first and the rest follow with Evan almost tripping. The chief looks up at them, half in annoyance and half in relief. He waves his hand at them and says, “Well, Miss Yardley, why don’t you calm down and tell us what happened?”

Fiona Yardley was the bridesmaid and a close friend of Emily. She was also her stylist and knew both Iason and Emily for years. She has dark brown hair cut in a bob and she is usually dressed well but the signs of distress are visible all over her body—from her messy hair to her rumpled clothes to her bitten fingernails. She takes a deep breath and speaks, “I went over to the house to check on Iason. He hadn’t been answering any of my calls or messages, so I was worried. But,” she shudders, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, “He is different. He looks sick, wasted and his butler told me he hasn’t left the sunroom, where Emily had a pond built, for days. Apparently, he brought over a giant fish and he had been taking care of it day and night. And he had been playing Emily’s last album nonstop.” She doubles over and sobs, her face in her palms, “Oh my god, this is all my fault!”

Junmyeon asks, “What do you mean Miss Yardley?”

Fiona looks up, “Iason and I were in love officer but Emily didn’t know. Emily…” she sighs, wiping her face, “Emily always got what she wanted, and when she wanted Iason, there was no going back. We broke up even though we still loved each other. Emily threatened to kill herself if she couldn’t get Iason for herself you see, so we never told her. But on that night, our resolves weakened, and she saw us kissing.” If Fiona closes her eyes, she can still hear Emily scream: _“You two will pay for this and you will pay for it with my death. I did tell you, didn’t I? You will never ever be together!”_

“Then, after saying those words, she jumped. Even though she seemed like an angel to the whole world outside, she was the most horrid person whenever she couldn’t get what she wanted.”

Fiona finishes and starts sobbing again. Everyone is silent in the room except Wes, who says, “Now I understand why both you and Iason were trying to defend the other during interrogations. Emily did kill herself out of spite, didn’t she?”

Fiona nods, “She knew how to swim detective. I still believe if she wasn’t serious about hurting me and Iason like this, she would still be alive. But she decided this was the punishment we deserved.”

Junmyeon fists his hand. The fish, of course. He turns towards the chief and says, “Sir, I say we go down there now. Something must be wrong, that count Wu sold that fish to Iason.”

The chief raises an eyebrow, slightly surprised at Junmyeon’s words. He steeples his fingers and shakes his head, “Kim, come on. You can’t bother that man like that or think he is raising killer fishes or something now.”

“Sir, please!”

At the end, the chief is convinced but partially and the four officers race towards Iason’s house with Fiona in tow. Junmyeon turns the siren on as he drives, his brows scrunched up and his knuckles almost white as he grips the steering wheel. It takes them almost an hour but they reach the house and the darkened windows make everyone tense. They get down and Fiona shows them the way towards the sunroom, which is located at the back of the house.

Junmyeon opens the door and the smell of rotting fish is what hits him the first. The lights are off in the room, but Evan finds it and when he turns it on, he gasps, “Oh my fucking god…”

Iason’s headless body floats on the water’s surface beside the corpse of a large fish. It is unlike any fish Junmyeon has seen in his life. It is at least four to five feet long and has ashy lavender scales that shift into a pearlescent blue under the light as it bobs on the water. Fiona screams and loses conscious; Kiernan holds her as the officer gapes at the scene before her.

Wes shakes his head, snapping himself out of his shock and calls in for backup. Junmyeon, meanwhile, walks around the boundary of the pond and sees the bucket of fish. He peers closer at the dead fish in the water and he notices something. “Hey, Wes! Come here!”

Wes really doesn’t want to come any closer but Junmyeon looks serious so he walks over. Junmyeon points at the bottom of the pond, the water is almost clear besides the blood tinting it red. Junmyeon slowly says, “Tell me if you see the head, and tell me if there is blood on the fish’s mouth.”

Wes widens his eyes as he notices the faint shape of the head at the bottom of the pond. He looks back at the fish and he gasps, stepping back in surprise when he sees that Junmyeon _is_ right: there is blood on the fish’s mouth. He turns his head towards Junmyeon and mumbles, “What the fuck dude, which fish does that? And that is definitely not a shark.”

Junmyeon looks at the fish and he has to agree. It is definitely not some type of a shark. Its head isn’t pointed with its mouth under the nose. Its head actually looks a lot like a carp’s and Junmyeon surely hasn’t seen a carp grow this big. His hands fist by his thighs and he inwardly fumes. He is going to visit the Count _now._

 

This time, Yifan is already waiting in his boudoir, legs crossed, incense burning and a pot of tea on the table in front of him. Junmyeon wishes he could find it in himself to be surprised, but he doesn’t. He plops down on the seat opposite and points at Yifan, a scowl on his face, “Guess who’s dead? Iason Baker. Head eaten off by your fish.”

“My fish?” Yifan asks, his eyebrow raised and pouring two cups of jasmine tea.

“Yes, your fish.”

“Oh, Emily.” Yifan picks his cup up and leans back in his chair, humming, “What a lovely creature..”

Junmyeon frowns, almost tripping on his words as he says, “What? Lovely creature?” His voice rises in pitch next, “And he named that fish after his dead wife? What the fuck?”

Yifan takes a small sip of his tea and for some reason, the smoke of the lavender incense thickens, ribbons around Yifan’s head. Junmyeon gasps inaudibly as Yifan’s eyes glimmer like jewels. He inhales, his lungs clenching as he watches the way Yifan hoods his eyes and his lips curl into a smile, ever-so slowly. “Name it after her? _It_ was _she_.”

Junmyeon swallows, “What, what the fuck do you mean?”

“Let me tell you what happened detective Kim…”

_Yifan can hear and feel the soil, the sea and the skies. He can feel the heartbeat of every bird, every animal, every insect, every mythical being too. There are things that humans do not understand, probably never will, and if it was another time, Yifan would have been revered for his talents, for his inhumanness. But not in this time. People do not care for the special things, the precious creatures that they will always misunderstand._

_He leaves the comfort of his home and decides to take a walk by the beach. He takes Yixing with him, and since it is very early in the morning, no one sees the tall Chinese man with his_ pet _sheep, though only others, and the ones who don’t need to, see Yixing in his bestial form. Yixing skips along the path, humming a song under his breath as Yifan walks a few paces behind him._

_It is Yixing who finds her though, the poor, miserable creature. The top part of her body is on the rocks while the rest of her is in the water. Yifan can see her shiny lavender scales beneath the waves. He comes closer, not caring that the hem of his cheongsam gets wet. He cups the poor thing’s face, grey and cold. Her eyes are sad, extremely so but she is beautiful. Her green eyes are asking him, begging him silently, and of course Yifan hears her. He rubs the ears, webbed like a fish’s fin, gently as he promises, “I understand, I will take you. I will make him come to you my precious.”_

_So, he took her back to the shop, put her inside one of the large tanks and kept her fed as he tried to locate her husband. He was friends with the assistant commissioner, so it wasn’t hard to gather the information he needed to find Iason Baker and his contacts. One little email and he came running._

_Yifan watches him walk in and he looks on confused as he sits down in his chamber. He asks, “Hi, Mister Wu?”_

_Yifan bows, “Yes. Hello. I see you received my email Mister Baker.”_

_Iason is the epitome of nervousness. He is chewing the inside of his cheeks, tapping his foot and twisting his fingers on his lap. Yifan smiles, “Don’t worry Mister Baker. She is an exquisite creature.”_

_He then motions Iason to follow him. He takes Iason to the tank, and at first, he is surprised and almost falls on his ass as the creature peeks her curious head over the edge. He walks closer and his eyes are wide as he asks, “Mister Wu, what, what does this mean?”_

_“Your_ wife _wanted you to have her, it seems Mister Baker.”_

_The creature couldn’t use her vocal chords as well as the rest of them but she could make low noises in her throat. Her rosy lips part and a low gurgle escape her lips. It seems enough to convince him and he agrees to take her home. Yifan, diligently, ships her the next day, along with the three terms:_

  1. _She must only be fed fish_
  2. _She must never be seen by anyone else_
  3. _She must never be starved_



Junmyeon jumps to his feet, the cup slipping down his hand and the scalding contents spill on the carpet. Some drops land on his jeans as well but he doesn’t notice as he shouts, “What the fuck? You expect me to believe that stupid fairy tale? That she died and turned into a mermaid so she could come eat her husband?”

“He let her starve, of love and of loyalty, detective. This was inevitable.”

Junmyeon is seething; he could actually feel his blood boiling as he clenches his fist. He is about to say something, call Yifan out on his bullshit when his mobile phone rings. He takes it out of his jacket and finds Kiernan calling.

“Detective Kim? Where are you? Are you at the pet shop?”

“Kiernan, if this isn’t very important, I have to go,” Junmyeon bites out.

“Detective, they found the upper half of Emily’s body inside the fish. And sir, Iason’s heart is missing.”

Kiernan’s words sent shivers down Junmyeon’s spine. He looks down at Yifan, who has his head tilted to the side, his eyes glimmering, as if he knows what Kiernan said on the phone. He cuts the call and he recalls Yifan’s words. His head spins as he clutches his phone. He sees Yifan slowly uncurling himself from his seat with a grace that is entirely feline, powerful and mysterious. He closes in, and when he is close enough, he gently brushes his long, tapered fingers against Junmyeon’s chin as he says, “In this world, there are things that no mortals will ever understand. This, this is one of them, detective. You will not be able to use your undisputable logic, your technology or your science.”

Junmyeon is transfixed. The eyes, the low, husky voice and the scent of lavender and tea is overwhelming. The air is warm, so damn warm for January in Los Angeles. Junmyeon’s head spins, it really, really does. He wants to back away but Yifan’s fingers hold him in place, as if the light touch is heavier than an iron shackle. The finger now traces Junmyeon’s lower lip and he unconsciously parts them, his brain slowly disconnecting from the rest of his body. Yifan leans closer as his voice drops to a whisper, “You, all of you think that you have this whole world figured out, that you hold every secret in the middle of your palms but you don’t, my dear detective. And you, you have such a closed, narrow mind.” His finger follows the curve of Junmyeon’s Cupid’s bow, his nail tracing the mole. “Open it up, detective and you will be surprised by what you see.”

Yifan’s eyes glow, flaring like gemstones in the haze as he leans closer still and his cool, soft lips touch Junmyeon’s. The touch is light, lighter than a butterfly’s wings fluttering against your arm, lighter than a spring breeze. Junmyeon’s eyes flutter close, the scent of lavender the last thing he remembers as a warm darkness embraces him.

When that lifts, Junmyeon wakes up with a jolt. He finds himself outside in his car, the nightlife of Chinatown buzzing around him. The doors of the hotpot restaurant he parked in front of open and loud laughter spills onto the streets, dragging him back to reality, dragging him back from the scented golden haze he still feels like he is in. Junmyeon frowns, his head still spinning and he slowly recalls. He gasps as his hand raise to touch his lips. That asshole kissed him and then he fainted! He is about to get out of his car and march back to the store, demanding answers but then he realises Yifan probably would be as usual mysterious and he doesn’t have the tolerance for it anymore.

He touches his lips again and fumes when he remembers how soft, how warm those lips were. He only felt them for half a second before passing out but he can feel it and his skin tingles, wondering what would have happened if they had kissed, properly. Then, he slaps his cheek. What the fuck is he thinking about? He should be thinking more about the ridiculous story he was told. He decides to head home and look at those earlier deaths a bit closer.

 

Yifan rubs his lips as he watches the detective drive away from the window of his bedroom. He smiles, the detective will be back again. He rubs his lower lip and sighs; he must have _him._ And he can wait—he is an immortal being after all. He has all the time in the world…

…Or maybe not. As he thinks, his gaze lands on the letter lying there innocently enough on his vanity. The thick, expensive paper and the fine writing on it jeers at him, reminding him of his truth, his life. He looks away and turns his head towards the clear skies again. The day of reckoning is going to come and he will have to stand by and let it happen to him.

Maybe, he doesn’t have to. Maybe, he doesn’t have to live the life fated for him, engineered for him.

 

The first victim was a filthy rich estate magnate named Harry Grover. He brought the tapestry from Count Wu on a special order. Apparently, Count Wu sometimes deals with ancient and slightly mysterious curios if the demand arises (Junmyeon is not at all surprised by this). Grover wanted something rare and precious so Yifan sold him the tapestry on three conditions. One, he must never show the tapestry to anyone; two, he must never keep it under direct sunlight; and three, he must keep it clean no matter what. The last two terms Junmyeon understands but the first one has him scratching his head. Why would showing off a handsome tapestry (Junmyeon had seen the thing—even with his minimal knowledge of art, he could understand the tapestry was a real beauty with its flawless brush strokes and intricate designs; the tiger drawn on it looked too real, like it could jump out anytime) be a breach of contract? He can already imagine Yifan telling him the cat jumped out of the tapestry and attacked Grover…

But, Grover did break the first term. He held a party the night he died and had the tapestry hanging in the middle of the hall as the centrepiece. People had oo-ed and ah-ed and went home. Then, close to midnight, Grover had called Yifan but the call lasted only for twenty seconds. The time the call ended and the time of the death is close, so Junmyeon is now wondering how this connects to Yifan _again._

The second case had two deaths. Mr and Mrs Jackson had purchased a rabbit from Yifan a week before their deaths. Junmyeon had happened to overhear two old ladies gossiping near the crime scene how the couple had named the pet after their recently deceased daughter: Alice, who had died of a drug overdose. Mr Jones had been gnawed to death while Mrs Jackson fell down the stairs and cracked her neck. Rabbits aren’t carnivorous so the forensics department was baffled; even the zoologists brought in for the case were confused. They had never seen rabbits dying en masse like that.

Evan was the one who found the corpse of the pet rabbit. The thing’s entire stomach was ripped apart. They also found the Count’s contract. One, they must only feed the rabbit fresh greens; two, they must never show her to anyone; and three, they must never ever let her have anything sweet even if she asks for it. Again, Junmyeon was left punching walls in annoyance trying to understand what in the ever loving fuck the last two terms meant. What did the couple do? Feed her cookies and chocolates, thus turning her rabid? But rabbits don’t speak!

Junmyeon groans and clutches his hair in frustration. He knows, _knows¸_ deep down that the pet shop owner knows more than he is letting on. It has been three days since _that_ day. Junmyeon is still unsure how he ended up from the pet shop to his car and why he has no memory of it. What did Yifan do to him? Did the incense do something to him? It’s not like he would have wanted to kiss him or even entertained such thoughts. Yifan Wu is a suspect; Junmyeon does not have a crush.

But his fingers rise to his lips and he remembers the softness, the lightness, the strange tenderness and Junmyeon’s heart thuds, the silly little organ telling him to stop lying to himself.

He slams the desk, which gains him some looks from his colleagues. He gets to his feet, grabs his jacket and keys and makes up his mind to go see Yifan again. He needs some straight, proper answers. He takes a detour before heading towards Chinatown though.

He ends up in front of the shop and he just sits there, mulling over how he should approach this. He eyes the packet of pastry he picked from one of the most popular bakeries in town. He picks it up and steels himself. He marches up to the shop and the doors swing open before he can reach the knob. He is no longer surprised by that anymore. He walks down the corridor and enters the room.

Yifan is lounging on the ottoman, his hand petting the sheep that is curled up in his lap. Junmyeon wonders why anyone would want a sheep as a pet, but that is none of his business. He looks at Yifan again who is smiling at him. He is wearing a white tunic with loose black pants. He is dressed down today, yet he looks stunning per usual. Junmyeon doesn’t smile back, just places the pastry bag on the table and stands back, hands on hips, regarding Yifan, who reacts accordingly.

Yifan first looks at the bag and then his smile widens till his gums show. His eyes widen, glimmering in delight as he jumps on the bag, picking it up and squealing, “Oh my god!” He opens the seal and his mouth forms a small o as he gasps, “Oh my god, the champagne strawberry cupcakes! They always sell out by afternoon!”

Junmyeon has to smile, his lips quirking up despite him trying his best not to. Yifan looks adorable, no matter how much he makes Junmyeon mad. However, his smile melts off when Yifan gets to his feet and cups his face to place a kiss on his cheek. Yifan seems unaffected by the sudden kiss as he grins, “Sit down! I will make some tea!” The poor sheep slides down to the floor gracelessly when Yifan jumped and it bleats, as if upset at his human’s behaviour.

Yifan is almost skipping as he walks away from the room and into a doorway to the right. Junmyeon keeps standing there, his hand on his cheek, his skin tingling where Yifan’s lips touched. His heart is pounding too hard in his chest, the blood rushing too fast in his ears and he could feel his face heating up.

He plops down on the ottoman and he can still hear his heart beating too loud. The sheep nudges Junmyeon’s knee and bleats again. Junmyeon pats its head and he learns its fur is soft like a cloud. He whispers, “He kissed me, why did he kiss me?” The sheep just brays in response.

Yifan returns with the tea and hums happily as he pours them cups. Junmyeon accepts the tea in silence, still trying to understand the kiss and the questions he needs to ask—questions he had formed in his head before coming here but are now lost. However, it is Yifan who decides for him, “So, I suppose you came here for something.” He cuts a slice of the cupcake with a tiny desert spoon and puts it in his mouth, his eyes shutting as he smiles. “This is bribery, so…”

Junmyeon grits his teeth, chews on his lips as he leans back in his chair. He crosses his arms and fumes internally for a moment, hating that Yifan is a step ahead of him again. He sighs, admitting defeat, “I came here with questions about Harry Grover and Mister and Missus Jackson.”

Yifan sips his tea, the smile still on his face, “But you already know what I am going to say.”

Junmyeon presses his lips together and narrows his eyes at Yifan, who still looks like he is having the time of his life eating the cupcake. It would be cute—maybe it is cute—but Junmyeon refuses to accept it. Yifan’s cheeks puff out and there is icing smeared on one corner of his lips and Junmyeon _itches_ to remove it. “I—” But Yifan keeps demolishing the cake and he ends up smearing more icing and Junmyeon just says fuck it inside his head and leans closer. He cups Yifan’s cheek and uses his other hand to wipe the icing away with his thumb. “You are such a messy eater.”

Yifan blushes and this close Junmyeon can see it, feel it too—how his skin is warm under his palm. He opens his mouth but then shuts it and Junmyeon watches how his mismatched pupils dilate. They are shining like jewels again, like an amethyst and a topaz. God damn, Junmyeon thinks, he is _beautiful._ A cat meows and the moment breaks, the enchantment too.

Junmyeon jumps back and Yifan licks his lips, his blush deepening. A black haired cat walks into the room, jumps on to the table and turns its insolent gaze on Junmyeon. Yifan clears his throat and Junmyeon grabs a tissue, trying to wipe the icing off his thumb. The buttery remnants still feel sticky so he rises to his feet, “Uh, where’s your bathroom?”

“Chen, why don’t you show the good detective?” Yifan smiles, running his fingers through the cat’s fur.

The cat jumps down on the floor again and swishes its tail as if motioning Junmyeon to follow him. Junmyeon does so, thinking how absurd it is that he is following an animal and how even more absurd it is that the animal understood Yifan’s command. The animal takes him down a corridor after they leave through a doorway on the left. The walls here are red as well and there are similar lamps as in the entrance hallway. The floors here are a check pattern and there are doors on either sides. They stop in front of a door at the end and Chen swishes his tail again and looks up at Junmyeon, his emerald eyes gleaming.

Junmyeon opens the door and the opulence of the bathroom surprises him. Besides the floor, everything is red, the walls and the ceiling. It isn’t tiled but done up in plaster polished to shine as bright as possible. The marble is creamy and seems expensive. There are oak counters below the basin and more oak cabinets behind him, filled with toiletry and towels. The bath is on his right and a stained glass window is at its foot, throwing multihued light on the white porcelain. On his right, there is a marble screen covering the shower area. Junmyeon raises his eyebrows; damn, how much does being a pet owner pay?

He quickly washes his hands and takes a moment to look at himself in the mirror. He ends up thinking about Yifan’s surprised flushed face and he sees his own face darkening in the reflection. No, that was _not_ cute or attractive. He totally didn’t want to kiss him or anything. How can he want to? After all, Yifan is probably the prime suspect in these strange deaths.

He is closing the door behind him when his gaze lands on a small staircase tucked at the corner on the right. The cat is gone, so Junmyeon is completely alone. He bites down on his lip; he doesn’t really have a warrant but Yifan didn’t stop him from entering his shop, so in a way, he is welcome either which way, right? Right, he nods his head and walks towards the stairs.

The stairs are wrought iron and winds in a spiral and ends at a landing where there is only door. The small hall too is bright red and a lone lamp throws some light in the passage. Junmyeon gulps and with his heart racing, turns the door knob.

He doesn’t know what else was he expecting, but the bedroom is, as expected, red. The carpet is red, the walls are red, the curtains are red, even the bedspread is red. Yifan must really _love_ red. The bed is like one of those framed, boxed beds he has seen in Chinese dramas. Sheer curtains of white embroidered with golden cranes cover the bed and as Junmyeon looks around, he finds that a lot of things have golden highlights. Like the cherry wood vanity. An open letter on the table top grabs Junmyeon’s attention and he walks closer to pick it up. It is written in Mandarin, so he curses under his breath but he quickly takes a picture of it. He puts it back in place and thinks he has spent enough time here. He doesn’t want to rouse Yifan’s suspicions.

As he is walking back to the boudoir, he sends the image of the letter to his friend, who is fluent in Mandarin and begs for a translation. He enters the room and finds Yifan demolishing another cupcake. The raccoon by Yifan’s foot too has its snout covered in icing. Junmyeon can’t tell if he finds it amusing or disgusting.

“Thank you detective,” Yifan says when he notices Junmyeon taking his seat. Junmyeon just nods his head. “You took your time.”

Junmyeon swallows, his brain whirring, trying to come up with a good excuse. Yifan just smiles at him. Then, a loud shriek startles them both and they turn their heads to find the black and the white cat fighting. Yifan clicks his tongue and gets up from his seat. He grabs the black cat’s neck and says, “Behave, Chen. Or else, no extra fish for you tonight.”

Junmyeon watches in amusement next as the black cat narrows its eyes and his tail stops thrashing, falling limp. Yifan lets him down again and he pads away to the corner. The white cat meows and Yifan pats his head, muttering, “You okay, Xiumin?”

Xiumin’s tail curls up and he purrs for some time. The dove moves from his perch and flutters down to roost on top of Xiumin. The bird coos and fluffs itself up and seems to doze off on top of the cat, who closes his eyes as well. They both look content as they doze off. Junmyeon watches the whole thing and chuckles, “I have never seen a bird and a cat be friends.”

“Oh, they love each other,” Yifan comments as he gets to his feet. He pours two more cups of tea and sinks into the cushions.

The sheep butts his head against Junmyeon’s knee, asking for a pet, which Junmyeon obliges with. “And what is he called?”

“Yixing.” Yifan then points at the raccoon at his foot, “And this is Tao.”

Junmyeon laughs, “They are all very human names!”

“Well, I see them as humans anyway.” Yifan says it nonchalantly but the way his lips curl, Junmyeon knows he is being his usual annoying self again.

When the tea is finished, Junmyeon takes his leave. Yifan, for the first time, walks him to the door and bids him goodbye. It is only when Junmyeon is stuck in traffic outside Chinatown that he remembers that he didn’t even ask the questions he wanted to ask! He slams the steering wheel and curses, “Fucking hell!”

 

It has been some hours since Junmyeon’s visit to Yifan’s shop. It is close to nine and Junmyeon is struggling with deciding between Indian and Mexican takeout. He shuts down the window of the food ordering site and settles on toasting some bread with peanut butter instead. He has only pushed the tab down on the toaster when his phone rings. He sees it is his friend, Sehun—the one he sent for the translation—calling.

He picks it up and says, “You have the translation for me?”

Sehun drawls in Korean, “A hello would have been nice hyung.”

“Sorry,” Junmyeon sighs. “Hello, Sehun. Now, the translation, please?”

“Okay, so first of all, what neat handwriting; I almost fell in love, don’t tell my boyfriend. Second of all, gosh, it is so wordy. Anyway, it reads _Dear, it is time for me to collect what is mine. I am sorry to cut your life so short but you know it has to be done. You are only a means to an end, always have been. This is how it is. This is why I created you. I grow weak and you strong. I have to take your life. The balance has to be achieved. I will meet you tonight._ Jeez, hyung. Is this like a letter a murderer sent to a victim or something?”

Junmyeon feels his breath catching in his lungs. Is Yifan’s life in danger? The toast pops up and it startles Junmyeon, and he doesn’t know if it is the sound or the thought of someone harming Yifan that makes his heart race. He mumbles, “Sehun, thanks. I gotta go.”

“Hyu—”

Junmyeon stops the call and races into his bedroom. He pulls out his second gun from under the bed and the grabs his police-mandated gun as well. He suddenly feels afraid, thinking that he may not reach the shop in time.

He gets stuck in traffic, of course he does. He screams in frustration, cursing the powers that be. Yifan is in danger, he definitely is, and more the seconds pass, the more afraid Junmyeon becomes. By the time he is in front of the shop, it is almost ten thirty. He doesn’t even lock his car as he runs towards the shop. The door, for the first time, is locked and doesn’t swing back as it usually does.

Junmyeon bangs on the doors, shouting, “Yifan! Yifan! Please open up!”

He keeps banging for a few seconds more before the door clicks open. Yifan opens it and the look on his face in unrecognisable. He isn’t smiling and his eyes are not shining with the usual mirth. His brows are scrunched and his bottom lip is red, like he has been chewing on it. He looks afraid too. Junmyeon pushes himself inside and shuts the doors behind him, even locking it by pulling the lever in place. He grabs Yifan’s arms and asks, “Are you okay? You’re not in danger, are you?”

Yifan looks over Junmyeon’s head and mumbles, “Locked doors won’t stop him…”

“Who, Yifan? Who? The one who wrote that letter?”

Yifan finally looks at Junmyeon and he smirks, though it doesn’t reach his eyes, “So that’s why it took you so long to come back from the bathroom break?”

“Yifan,” Junmyeon inhales. “No more games now. Who is the person who wrote that letter? Why does he want to kill you?”

Yifan turns around, head bowed, mumbling, “I thought I had more time, I mean it wasn’t supposed to be so soon. I am not even thirty…”

Junmyeon moves around Yifan and grabs the latter’s arms again. He frowns, “What do you mean Yifan?”

Yifan’s eyes widen as he smiles, “That’s the first time you called me by my name.” Junmyeon is about to reprimand the other but then Yifan laughs, bitter and strained, “Though I am not really Yifan, not really Count Wu either.”

Junmyeon is taken aback and his grip tightens on Yifan’s arms. “Who, who are you?”

“Come with me,” Yifan whispers. He pries Junmyeon’s hand from his arm and laces his fingers through Junmyeon’s. Then, he drags them down the corridor. They pass through the boudoir, which is covered in heavy incense smoke and they move so quickly that Junmyeon thinks he is seeing things when he makes out human silhouettes in the haze. They walk down the corridor Junmyeon took this afternoon and they don’t stop till they reach the stairs. Junmyeon understands they are going to Yifan’s bedroom.

They enter the bedroom and Yifan lets Junmyeon hand drop. He opens a drawer and pulls out a thick, leather-bound book. He seats down on the bed and pats the space beside him, gesturing at Junmyeon to seat down, who does. He puts the book on Junmyeon’s lap and his smile is sad as he says, “Would you understand if I said I am Yifan but not Yifan at the same time?” Junmyeon opens his mouth but Yifan stops him by putting his finger on the former’s lips. “Open the album.”

Junmyeon flips the cover of the photo album and the first image he sees is an old one, judging from the outfits worn. Due to the dramas he watches, he knows the outfit is an older version of a qipao. However, the man wearing it surprises him. He looks just like Yifan except for his long, light hair. He gasps but the other boy standing beside him…he looks like a younger version of him. He looks up at Yifan, blinking, “Yifan?”

“Turn the page.”

Junmyeon turns the page and he sees another image, the same light-haired Yifan but this time he is dressed in more modern clothes. There is another younger version of him by his side. Yifan taps on light-haired Yifan and he finally speaks, “That is the real Yifan. He was born in the Song dynasty in China, in nine hundred sixty AD. I am his clone. And all the young men you see? They are all his clones. The older he gets, he comes back to take our lives to add to his. That is how it has been. I am his fiftieth version.”

The album slips down Junmyeon’s lap as he stands up, staring aghast at Yifan. The count’s eyes aren’t sparkling, there is no enigmatic smile. His eyes seem hollow and his lips are pressed in a thin line. He looks serious, extremely so. Junmyeon shakes his head, his head buzzes as he says, “But, how—”

Yifan stands up as well. “The real Yifan, the one who created me, is not human but he is not some beast either. Once upon a time, there used to more of him, people who could see this world and the worlds beyond. They were the last of an ancient Chinese civilization that were very close to animals. They started to die out but Yifan didn’t want to perish, so he started creating many copies of himself. Whenever he feels the tendrils of mortality snake around him, he takes the life of his clones and adds it to his.” He turns to look at Junmyeon and his smile is so achingly sad that Junmyeon feels his heart clenching. “He has done so for forty-nine times. However, each clone he makes, something is usually off about them…” he points at his eye and smiles, “I am imperfect too—my eyes, you see?”

“How, how,” Junmyeon steps closer. “Do I even believe in all this Yifan?” He steps even closer, reaching forward to cup Yifan’s face. “But if you’re in danger, tell me how to protect you.”

Yifan’s eyes widen at the last words. Junmyeon has never looked at him like that. His dark eyes are filled with concern and fear, and it makes Yifan’s heart twist with an unnamed emotion. His heart loses its rhythm, falling out of its usual beat, skidding off the rails and crashing hard against something. He hurts, he falls and he understands, he is more terrified than he was before.

Before Yifan can answer, the floor starts vibrating, like bass pulsing through a dance floor. Yifan curls his fingers around Junmyeon’s wrists and whispers, “You’ll believe now. Come with me.”

Junmyeon has questions but right now, he knows he can’t ask them all. For the first time in his life, he is quiet even when his curiosity rages inside him. Yifan walks towards the door, pushes it open and they end up in the corridor. Junmyeon frowns, biting back his gasp when he notices a door in front of Yifan’s room, which was not there before. It is a normal wooden door, except it seems like it is decorated with precious metal; the details on the surface twisted and manipulated into creatures that Junmyeon has never seen before. Then, he realises the door is vibrating, the surface of its gilded wood pulsing as if with life within. Beside him, Yifan takes a deep, deep breath and touches the door.

Junmyeon gasps out loud when the door melts away and suddenly, they are standing amongst lush greenery. There are shrubs, crawling plants and flowers in white, pink and purple all over. Under their feet is a moss-covered stone path that leads to an arched stone door that is covered with more flowers and leaves. Junmyeon finds it difficult to breathe, his whole body trembling, trying to understand what he is seeing. This is not a room; there is no ceiling, no wall. The sky above him is golden yellow and the air smells sweet like a summer garden.

Yifan moves his fingers till they are laced tightly through Junmyeon’s. He squeezes Junmyeon’s hand as he says, “Yes, we are not in the shop anymore. We are in another dimension, a world within a world. I have never brought a human here, so if your head spins or if you feel funny, you need to tell me, okay?”

The grip on his hand is reassuring, warm and Junmyeon nods. He is still trying to process this but for now, he chooses to trust Yifan (what a shocker). They start walking down the stoned path and he sees insects with luminescent wings flutter around them. He is not an insect expert, but he thinks they are fireflies—except they keep changing colours and Junmyeon is sure that is not how fireflies work.

A loud, shrill call makes Junmyeon jump and he looks up to find a bird with blazing orange feathers flying over their heads. Yifan, too, hears it, stops, and glances up before saying, “That’s a phoenix.”

“Aren’t phoe—” Junmyeon shakes his head. No, he is currently in some different world that he entered through a door in Yifan’s shop. A bird from mythology is the last of his worries. Yifan chuckles, clearly fathoming Junmyeon’s mental process. He squeezes Junmyeon’s hand again, smiling, “You’re doing pretty well.”

Junmyeon would like to scoff and say something insulting but Yifan’s smile is soft, tinged with a vulnerability he has never seen. Junmyeon finds himself squeezing Yifan’s hand back. Yifan’s eyes widen slightly at that but he looks away to hide his blush and they resume walking.

They pass under the arch and the stone paths goes on for some few feet more before curving around a wall of granite. As soon as they pass that curve, Junmyeon’s heart jumps into his throat. The whole sky has changed, even the very air. It is twilight here, the pink flowers growing all over the path and the grooves of the hill are shrouded in purple. They reach a clearing with twisted, gnarly plants circling them and massive cliffs looming above. The air is cold, far colder for the thin denim jacket Junmyeon has on. Yifan looks unaffected but the way he is chewing on his lips, Junmyeon knows he is afraid.

The petals from the flowers fall and rise up, swirling like a tiny tornado has found them. Then they hear someone laughing, softly, behind them. They both turn around to see a man walk out from the shadows of the trees. Junmyeon’s lips part and he hears his pulse in his ears when the purple light falls on the man in front of them.

He looks just like Yifan, except for the long, braided silver hair and the bright golden eyes gleaming behind his thin-framed spectacles. When he notices Junmyeon, his lips twist into a scowl. “Why is there a human here number fifty?”

The way his voice turns condescending, and the way he reduces Yifan to a number makes Junmyeon see red. He is about to open his mouth but then Yifan tightens his hold on their laced hands and shakes his head. He bows his head and says, “My apologies father. He was there when you arrived and I didn’t know how to explain.”

“You’re smarter than that fifty.” The other, original Yifan has a deeper voice, more authoritative, like he is used to having his own way when he orders—and this makes Junmyeon mad. He turns to look at Junmyeon, his gaze assessing and cruel. He tilts his head to the side and suddenly, laughs, “Or is it the human who has caught your fancy?”

Yifan gasps, stepping back and Junmyeon just keeps gaping, now at Yifan. He _likes_ Junmyeon? Even though they might be in a life-threatening situation, Junmyeon feels warmth blooming in his chest and travelling to every end of his body, making it tingle. Yifan likes him, his brain seems to hold onto that and ignore everything else for a moment. However, the other Yifan’s loud, jarring laughter jolts Junmyeon back and he glares when the man says, “Pathetic, how insanely pathetic.”

“It’s not!” Junmyeon can’t hold back; he is angry. “You, you are the one who’s pathetic here! Why can’t you just embrace mortality and die like the rest of us?”

The other Yifan’s eyes widen and Junmyeon sees the rage burning in them. “Us? How dare you equate me to you?” He raises his hands and a gust of wind knocks right into Junmyeon’s chest and throws him back. Yifan stumbles back with him too but since the attack was concentrated on Junmyeon, the former jumps to his feet first while the latter just lies on the ground trying to catch his breath and not focus on the sudden ache in his chest.

Junmyeon hears Yifan shout, “Father! Please don’t hurt him!”

“Ah, so you do care about that filthy human? I could sense it from your soul, which is part of mine.” The man sighs, “I’m disappointed at how you have allowed yourself to forget who you are. Wanting, pining after a mere human, especially when you know your time is up.”

Yifan hangs his head, his heart pounding. He turns his head to look at Junmyeon, who sits up slowly, rubbing his chest. Yifan can’t look away; neither can Junmyeon as something is shared in that glance. Regret, sadness, heartbreak and the knowledge that they could be more. They don’t know and they don’t have the time to know. Yifan looks defeated, accepting but Junmyeon suddenly feels the flare of hatred and determination rise within him.

“Come closer fifty.”

Yifan bites back the sob wanting to tear through his soul and inches closer to his creator. The man has a knife ready. He will be slicing through Yifan’s jugular and drain him of his blood—he was told this a long time ago. He closes his eyes and inhales deeply. The cold metal touches his skin and his creator pushes pressure on it bit by bit till the metal has sunk into the first layer of his skin. He feels his blood pour down his neck and stain his shirt, and it hurts. He sinks his teeth over his lip as the pressure increases.

However, before the knife can reach the vein, the stillness of the air is rattled by a loud booming noise and the man groans in pain. Yifan hears the knife clutter to the ground and when he opens his eyes, he sees his creator on his knees, his hand cupped over his other shoulder as blood, dark and thick, pours out of his veins. Before Yifan can understand what happened, he feels Junmyeon grab his hand and turn him around.

Yifan only gets to see the gun with its barrel smoking in Junmyeon’s hand before he is being dragged away. They start running with Junmyeon taking the lead and they go the way they came from. When they are at the arch again, Junmyeon cries, “That bastard can bleed then! Huh!”

Yifan doesn’t know how to respond to that but he gasps when he sees the doorway back to their world shrinking. Yifan shouts, “The door!”

“Fuck!” Junmyeon notices it too and they increase their speed. Junmyeon thinks he has never run this fast before, but he thanks all his running practice—he chases after criminals for a living after all.

They manage to rush past the door just in time. It closes down they moment they step back inside the shop. With their backs pressed against the opposite wall, they watch the door disappearing, its corners melting away and it almost looks like the wall absorbs it. The floor vibrates under their feet for a few seconds and then it is all quiet again. Yifan slumps down the wall and Junmyeon follows. They sit close, their shoulders pressed, their limbs still burning and their chests heaving. They both turn their heads at the same time, dark eyes locking onto multi-coloured eyes and before either can understand, their lips crash against each other.

His whole body throbs with how much he wants this—Yifan doesn’t understand this but he wants it so much. Their lips slide with a blind, wanton need and when Junmyeon licks into his mouth, Yifan can only groan and let him in. Junmyeon chokes on a moan, his heart thrashing in his ribs, but he is suddenly reminded of the events of before when he moves his hand to cup Yifan’s neck and his fingers touch the blood on Yifan’s neck. He pulls back and gasps, “You’re bleeding.”

Yifan is still reeling from the kiss but Junmyeon’s words remind him too. He laughs and presses his forehead into Junmyeon’s shoulder. He wraps his arms around Junmyeon’s waist and sighs, “Thank you, thank you so much.”

Junmyeon can’t help but smile at the way Yifan just melts against his chest. He too wraps his arms around Yifan’s back. He kisses the side of Yifan’s head as he starts running his fingers through Yifan’s hair, which he learns is soft, softer than he thought it’d be. His heart stutters when he realises that Yifan, stripped of his mystery and magic, is just a man of flesh and bones and needs. He is scared, he questions his existence, and he is not supposed to be permanent. Junmyeon frowns and pulls Yifan closer into his arms, making a vow with himself to protect him no matter what.

Yifan sighs into Junmyeon’s neck and he says, “I didn’t want to die Junmyeon.”

“And you won’t.” Junmyeon leans back so he could look at Yifan. He cups Yifan’s face and he keeps his voice as stable as he can as he says, “ _I_ won’t let you die.”

Yifan’s eyes shine with tears and as he inhales, leaning into Junmyeon’s touch, he lets go. He can feel the tears roll down his cheeks as he mumbles, “I know I was just a means to an end. I’m just a copy…”

Junmyeon’s heart breaks at those words. He uses his thumb to wipe the tears away and kiss down Yifan’s cheek and then kisses each corner of his lips. He says, “You are real. You cry and you bleed, I won’t let you forget that.”

They kiss again, and again, till they both run out of breath and Junmyeon reminds Yifan of his wound again. They laugh as they stumble into Yifan’s bedroom. Junmyeon asks, “Where’s your first aid kit?”

Yifan sits down on his bed and points at a cabinet near the dresser. Junmyeon finds the little box and he returns to Yifan on the bed. He wipes away the blood first and to his relief, he learns the wound isn’t that deep and probably won’t need stitches. He fishes out the liquid antiseptic and as soon as it touches the wound, Yifan winces and Junmyeon curves over him, cupping his nape and says, “I am sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Yifan inhales. “Continue, I’m okay.”

Junmyeon continues and closes the wound with a bandage. As he presses the adhesive into place, Yifan notices the scrapes on Junmyeon’s palm. He grabs Junmyeon’s wrist and rubs his thumb over the irritated skin. “You got hurt too.”

Junmyeon frowns in confusion when he looks down. When did he hurt himself? He raises his other hand too and notices the same scrapes on his other palm. He thinks it must have happened when he fell down after _that_ man threw a ball of air at him. He shrugs, “Eh, it’s not that serious.”

“Sit down,” Yifan mutters. When Junmyeon obeys, he smiles and his gums show, which makes Junmyeon want to pull him close and kiss him again. Yifan cleans the more injured palm and wraps gauze around it. The other arm isn’t that bloody, so Yifan just cleans it. When he is done, he plants the lightest kiss on the inside of Junmyeon’s wrist. Junmyeon can’t hold it back anymore, so when Yifan looks up, his heterochromic eyes all affectionate and bound, Junmyeon cups Yifan’s chin to pull him forward to slot his lips against Yifan’s.

Yifan parts his lips immediately and Junmyeon doesn’t wait to deepen the kiss, eager to taste more of Yifan and imprint it into his brain, his whole being. It is addictive with the way he kisses back, greedy, like he is deprived and he needs this so, _so_ much. Junmyeon tugs at Yifan’s hair, making the latter groan and that sound makes heat pool in Junmyeon’s gut. He pulls Yifan closer, wanting to leave no space between them.

Yifan pulls back slightly, perhaps wanting the same, because in the next moment, he is straddling Junmyeon’s lap. He is much too tall but he doesn’t let that hinder him as he curves over Junmyeon, cupping the other’s nape and kissing him again. Junmyeon puts his hands on Yifan, moving them all over his body. Yifan is wearing a loose shirt, so Junmyeon slides his hands underneath it, smoothing over his skin, warm and soft and so inviting. He puts his hand on the small of Yifan’s back and pushes him forward till there is no space between them.

Yifan shivers when Junmyeon’s hands stroke all over his back and then down again, slipping under his thighs and squeezing them. Breathing gets hard, so Yifan pulls back to gulp in some much needed air. Junmyeon doesn’t stop; his mouth moves down the uninjured side of his neck, his teeth grazing over his skin before sinking into it and leaving a bruise. Junmyeon pops opens the buttons on his collar and then moves on to suck more marks on every exposed area of his skin.

Junmyeon unbuttons the rest of the shirt and slides it down Yifan’s shoulders. His skin has the lightest golden sheen to it and under the light, he glows. Junmyeon cups Yifan’s face and smiles at him, his heart swelling with an emotion he is sort of scared to acknowledge. Yifan’s eyes are diluted and his lips are swollen red from the kiss. The high points of his cheeks are flushed so pretty. Junmyeon mumbles as his thumbs rub circles on Yifan’s cheeks, “You’re so beautiful.”

Yifan looks away as the colours in his cheeks deepen. He touches the collar of Junmyeon’s shirt and mumbles, his voice mellow and shy, “You’re not too bad yourself, detective.” Junmyeon smiles as he plants light kisses along Yifan’s collarbones. “Junmyeon?” When the detective hums in response, Yifan says, “Kiss me again?”

Junmyeon chuckles but he obliges. The kiss is gentler, tender than before. They both move till Yifan is lying on his back on the bed. They break into laughter when Junmyeon’s t-shirt gets stuck while removing it. They slowly lose every article of clothing and Junmyeon marvels at how thick Yifan’s thighs are, how his cock stands half-erect just due to Junmyeon kissing him and touching him, how his whole body is flushed the darkest pink and how his chest is heaving. Soon, he is mapping kisses along the inside of one thigh, occasionally leaving deep, red marks.

Each bite makes Yifan thrash and shudder. He wants more, more and _more_. Junmyeon’s lips finally wrap around his cock, the tip leaking with precum by the time Junmyeon licks down the shaft and under it, over the throbbing vein. Yifan wants to come, he wants to come so badly. Junmyeon swallows down the length till the tip of his cock touches the back of his throat. Yifan moans, low and guttural, his back arching off the bed at how good it feels.

Yifan feels the knot loosening in his gut and before he can understand, he empties into Junmyeon’s mouth. His body shakes from the aftermath but Junmyeon isn’t done and Yifan is glad about that. Their lips find each other again and the kiss is messy---it is all teeth and lust. Yifan can feel Junmyeon’s cock rut against his thigh, and all his blood rushes down again. As Junmyeon sucks on his tongue, Yifan blindly tries to reach for the bedside table. When Junmyeon sees what he is trying to do and he leans back, his eyes crinkled in amusement, “What are you doing?”

“I, I—” Yifan cries softly with joy when he finally finds the bottle of lubricant he was looking for. Junmyeon chuckles, though suddenly anxious about it. He asks, “Are you sure about this?”

Yifan exhales, then he smiles as he rubs his thumb against Junmyeon’s thudding pulse. “Yes.”

Yifan spreads his legs, allowing Junmyeon to settle in between as the latter takes the bottle. Junmyeon urges Yifan to fold his legs and drops a kiss on each knee as he slides in his slicked up fingers and Yifan groans, his face scrunching up in pain. Junmyeon curls over and nuzzles into Yifan’s neck, mumbling comforting words as he slowly opens Yifan up, taking time for each drag along his walls. Junmyeon kisses all across Yifan’s sternum and throat, still murmuring how good he is doing. At a particular thrust of Junmyeon’s fingers, Yifan moans out long and loud, and his back arches again. His hands grab onto the bed sheet as he gasps out, “There, there.”

“Okay, okay,” Junmyeon breathes out as he finds the spot again and again. Yifan’s eyes squeeze shut and his teeth clamp down on his lower lip, holding back his moan. Junmyeon wants to hear him, so he leans over again and tugs at Yifan’s chin. Yifan opens his eyes and they are wet with tears and so glazed over that it makes Junmyeon’s breath catches in his lungs. He whispers, “Don’t hold back, okay? I want to hear you.”

Yifan can’t find the right words to say as Junmyeon bites down on his lower lip, sucking on it. Yifan puts his hands on Junmyeon’s back and he ends up sinking his nails into Junmyeon’s back. Junmyeon hisses in pain and Yifan chuckles, “Sorry about that.”

“Are you?” Junmyeon scoffs as he retaliates by biting the top of Yifan’s ear. “Hmm?”

Yifan smiles as he traces the back of Junmyeon’s neck, tugging him down to kiss him. When they break the kiss, Yifan murmurs, “I’m ready.”

Junmyeon nods; he lines himself up and then, slowly, pushes in. Yifan’s nail digs deep into his skin again but Junmyeon can’t focus on that. He bites down on Yifan’s shoulder to muffle his moan as he sinks into the heat, the overwhelming tightness. Yifan keeps murmuring Junmyeon’s name as Junmyeon further pushes, till he is making shallow thrusts. It is not enough, not nearly enough for Yifan because he cries out, “Please, please, _more_!”

“As you wish Yifan,” Junmyeon whispers as he lifts one leg up and nudges Yifan to wrap it around his waist. He keeps the other leg down by putting his hand on Yifan’s thigh, and then changing his angle slightly, he plunges in hard and fast. He picks the pace up and Yifan is reduced to a mess of moans and scratching fingernails. He is gurgling incoherently in Mandarin as he throws his head back.

Their bodies move in tandem, skin slick with sweat and flushed and heated. Every time Junmyeon pushes past the ring of muscles and jabs straight into the bundle of nerves, Yifan loses more of his mind. He doesn’t even realise how loud he is or how he is drawing blood, his nails making long, red lines all across Junmyeon’s back. Junmyeon fills him so good, so much, but he is not done. Suddenly, he _grinds_ into Yifan and the latter all but screams.

Yifan peels his eyes open and it takes a lot of effort. His whole body trembles when he sees Junmyeon exerting over him, his eyes squeezed shut and his lips parted. Sweat runs down his face, and his bangs stick to his forehead. Yifan removes the hair from Junmyeon’s eyebrow and sighs, “Junmyeon, Junmyeon…”

Junmyeon opens his eyes and no other words are needed when their lips crash against each other. Junmyeon cards his fingers through Yifan’s hair and grips it hard as he sucks on his tongue, swallowing down every little sound Yifan makes. His hips are relentless and fast as he chases his pleasure; he knows he is ending his near and he doesn’t want to come without Yifan, so he loosens his grip on Yifan’s hair and moves his hand down towards the other’s cock.

Yifan’s cock lies neglected between their bodies, red and leaking. As soon as Junmyeon wraps his fingers around Yifan’s cock, the latter breaks the kiss and moans, “Oh heavens, please, please!”

Junmyeon strokes Yifan to his climax, and he comes all over their bodies with a deep, low moan and his whole body clenching in a way that makes Junmyeon lose his breath. Junmyeon follows soon and his orgasm blazes through him after a couple of thrusts like a brilliant, dying star and he sees white for a few moments before he empties inside Yifan.

Yifan sighs as Junmyeon slumps over him, his cock pulsating with each spurt. Yifan bites down on his lip, his body shivering as he feels Junmyeon’s warm cum coat his walls. There is sweat and cum splattered over them both but they don’t want to move—Junmyeon has his face pressed into Yifan’s neck while Yifan has his arms tightly wound around Junmyeon. Their legs entwine as they try to catch their breaths and come down from the high of their release. They are still connected after Junmyeon softens inside him, and Yifan suddenly chuckles. Junmyeon lifts himself on his elbows and raises an eyebrow at him, to which Yifan replies, “Did you think you’d end up here when you came to convict me of murder almost?”

Junmyeon rises off Yifan and grins down at him, “Oh hush, I believe you now, don’t I?”

Yifan smile drops a little but he still looks at Junmyeon, his eyes filled with adoration, “Thank you for that.”

Junmyeon feels that overwhelming clench in his heart, so he swallows it down and kisses Yifan’s temple. “Never a problem.”

 

Surprises don’t cease, it seems, in the Count Wu’s pet shop. After they take a bath together (and heavily making out), they come down to the parlour. Yifan just has a silk robe on while Junmyeon borrowed a long tunic from Yifan’s wardrobe. The incense smoke hovers in the parlour and as it slowly clears, Junmyeon realises the human shapes he thought he had seen where no hallucinations. There are suddenly five full-grown men—well, not full-grown, now that Junmyeon looks closer, they look like adolescents at best—lounging across the room. Junmyeon gasps and grabs Yifan’s elbow. Yifan smiles at him and says, “I suppose, since you believe now, you can see their real forms.”

“Real forms?”

Junmyeon looks at the men again and suddenly, he gets it. The strange menagerie of animals he would always see around Yifan weren’t actually _animals_. Yifan claps his hands and the men rise from their stupor to Yifan saying, “Okay, now that Junmyeon can see you, I think you lot need to introduce yourselves.”

A silver haired man with feline eyes walks up to Junmyeon first, with this white haired man and this dark haired man following. The silver one says, all smiles, “Hi! I am Xiumin! I am the white cat!” Junmyeon sees it now—the eyes are definitely feline, though the gummy smile sort of makes him look more like a hamster? The white haired male comes next, and he stands taller than the others as he says, “I am Lu Han. I am the white dove.” Junmyeon doesn’t see a resemblance much other than the long neck. Finally, the short black haired male comes forward and he is sort of scowling at him. Junmyeon clears his throat when he sees the familiar emerald eyes and asks, “Are you the black cat?”

The guy hisses, “Yes.”

Yifan sighs, “Chen, behave.”

“I don’t like this human,” Chen complains, pouting.

“You don’t like any human. But, Yifan gege likes the human, so suck it up Chenchen,” Lu Han giggles. Both Yifan and Junmyeon blush at this while Lu Han and Xiumin coo at them.

The other two males finally come forward and Junmyeon takes a wild guess. He points at the taller black haired man with impressive eye bags, “You must be the racoon?” Then he gestures at the slightly sleepy-looking, fluffy dark haired man, “And you the, uh, sheep?”

Both men nod their heads. They introduce themselves as Tao and Yixing respectively. Xiumin asks, “Fan? Didn’t the creator come to take you away?”

Yifan swallows and shakes his head, “He did, but Junmyeon drove him away.”

Chen gasps, his eyes widening at Junmyeon, “The human hurt the bad man?” He comes closer to Yifan and his lips tremble as his eyes fill with tears, “You won’t be leaving us then?” When Yifan shakes his head, Chen sobs and throws his arms around Yifan. “Fanfan ge won’t leave us!”

Junmyeon smiles at the way Yifan tries his best to calm the boy down. Chen finally releases him and walks over to Junmyeon. He grabs onto Junmyeon’s sleeves and murmurs, “I don’t hate this human I suppose.” Junmyeon feels an odd sense of victory at that.

Lu Han says, “But, he is not dead, is he? He can come back to still take gege away!”

Junmyeon frowns, crossing his arms, “Oh no, he won’t.”

“But the bad man is powerful,” Xiumin says, his eyes glistening as well. “Nothing hurts him.”

Junmyeon shakes his head. “A bullet does. If he comes back, we will be ready. No one is taking Yifan away from you,” he turns to look at Yifan and laces his fingers through the other’s before smiling and continuing, “And me.” Yifan looks at his feet, his whole body warm as he smiles, biting his lip.

Tea is brought out and some snacks, and the five of them show how they transition between animal and human and Junmyeon is fascinated. He now understands how his three cases worked out as he hears more tales of such animal-human morphs from the five of them (he still has some questions but he can always ask them later, he rationalises). When they all wind down from their conversations, Yixing asks, “What will you do Junmyeon ge? How will you make sure the bad man won’t take him away?”

Junmyeon rubs his chin as he frowns, “What we need is a distraction so I can shoot him point blank. If he can bleed from one bullet, that means he is not invincible. Immortal and ageless maybe but definitely not bulletproof. All I need is a killing shot, and then, he won’t be able to harm Yifan or create more clones.”

Tao’s eyes widen as he asks, “Can we help then?”

“Of course,” Junmyeon smiles. “I would need all the help I can get.”

 

The original Count Wu returns, and Junmyeon only had to wait a night. He had stayed the night, and the whole day, even calling for a day off at work. His boss thought he had finally reached breaking point concerning the Chinatown pet shop owner, so he didn’t ask much. Junmyeon was grateful; though, he wondered what his colleagues would think if they ever got to know the changes in his and Yifan’s relationship. He was the first one awake in the morning and Yifan was still asleep, his long hair splayed on the pillow, his back bare and littered with marks Junmyeon made last night. Junmyeon traced the curve of Yifan’s back as he realised he doesn’t care what people would think. He accepted he probably liked Yifan a bit more than he thought he would. And when Yifan woke up with a slow, lazy smile on his face, Junmyeon knew the name of the emotion making his heart expand and fill his whole being.

The sun had set only a couple of hours when the house shakes again. Junmyeon checks the bullets in the magazine and his face is grim and his voice is low as he says, “Okay guys, get ready.”

This time, except for a doorway, Junmyeon, Yifan and the rest of them watch with wide eyes and bated breath as the shop around them melts away. Suddenly, in a blink of their eyes, they are standing in that granite clearing again. The flowers are no longer in bloom and the trees look bigger, darker and Junmyeon clutches both his guns in his hands, his heart pounding.

The creator emerges from the shadows again and he is furious. Gauze covers his upper left arm and it is soaked with blood. Junmyeon understands the wound is serious—this is good news. He braces himself but soon, another blow of wind knocks him back. But Junmyeon knows the tricks now, the element of surprise can no longer work, so he bounces back on his feet a moment after he lands on his butt. His chest aches but he ignores that. Chen and Xiumin are in their animal forms and they jump at the creator, hissing and scratching away. Tao joins them too, shredding the man’s pants to ribbons and cutting through skin and flesh. However, he kicks at Tao’s belly and Yifan gasps, rushing forward to the racoon, who wheezes in pain. Chen and Xiumin back away, hissing with their tails thrashing.

Lu Han steps in, and Junmyeon watches the man turn into a bird, but it is not a dove. When he gasps, Yixing, still in his human form explains, “Lu Han is a zhen.” Junmyeon doesn’t quite know what that is but he watches in awe as the large bird with blue and green feathers soars above their heads. The creator hisses in annoyance when Lu Han attacks him, over and over again with his talons. However, the man manages to grab one leg of the bird’s and the sound of bone cracking reverberates clear and loud. Lu Han bellows in pain but he still manages a long scratch across the creator’s face with his other leg. Blood pours out of the cut and the man screams, stumbling back.

Junmyeon sees his opportunity. As Lu Han turns to his human form to come rest beside Yifan, Junmyeon raises both his guns and empties all the bullets into the silver-haired man’s body. The bullets lodge in his neck, his shoulder, his chest and his stomach. When all eleven bullets are spent, Junmyeon puts down his guns and pants. The creator was blinded in one eye by the bird, so with one golden eye, he glares at Junmyeon. As his life seeps out of him in rivers of dark red—almost black—blood, the man falls on his knees and whispers, “I am last one of my kind, the last one, the last one…”

Junmyeon shakes his head, “And thank god for that.”

The creator exhales his last breath and his body falls forward. Yixing yelps, “Gege! The dimension!”

All of them turn their heads up to find the purple sky crack, and soon the sound of the granite cliffs breaking into pieces thunders throughout the space. Yifan shouts, “Come here! It will be okay!”

Junmyeon wants to ask whatever the fuck that meant but he rushes towards Yifan, and Yixing follows. They huddle on the ground and Yifan whispers, “Don’t worry, with him gone, this dimension will disintegrate but we will be okay, I promise.” Then, he grins sheepishly, “Though, I don’t know where we might end up.”

Junmyeon is about to scream at Yifan when the ground under their knees turns to dust and heavy gusts of winds buffet them. He closes his eyes and holds on tighter to Yifan. After some moments, the winds die down and Junmyeon has this brief sensation of weightlessness before he falls hard on a grainy, cold surface. He opens his eyes and realises the gritty texture under his fingertips is sand. He smells the ocean and he scrambles to his feet, gasping when he sees they are at a beach.

He hears groaning and low whimpering and turns around to find Yifan and the others sprawled on the sand as well. Yifan is the first to get to his feet and dust the sand of his pants as he says, “Huh, a much softer landing than expected.”

Junmyeon waves his hands around, getting agitated by the second, “But where are we?”

It is Yixing who answers, “Uh, I think we are in Maine?”

Junmyeon bites back the scream he desperately wants to let out. But Yifan walks up to him and pulls him into his arms, pressing his face into Junmyeon’s shoulder and mumbles, “Thank you, I don’t know how I will ever repay you.”

Junmyeon smiles as he throws his arm around Yifan’s waist. He kisses the side of Yifan’s face and says, “Well, we can start with a date, a real date.”

Yifan laughs and the sound has Junmyeon’s heart skipping a few beats. He pulls back to cup Yifan’s face and pull him down for a much-needed kiss.

 

Kiernan is frowning, feeling greatly confused when she sees Count Wu walk across the courtyard and then throw his arms around detective Kim. She gasps and her eyes widen when she sees them _kissing_. _How, when and what?_ She walks faster and catches up with her superior. She clears her throat and stops the mush fest she has to witness. They break the kiss and Junmyeon is blushing hard when he finds his partner looking at him with a giant question mark on her face.

Yifan chuckles softly as he laces his fingers through Junmyeon’s and bows at Kiernan, “Long time no see, sergeant.”

She glances at their hands and then grins, “So, you two are dating now or something?”

Junmyeon huffs, “Yes, okay and—”

“Oh my god!” Kiernan claps her hands and cries, “Peters is gonna lose so much money today!”

Kiernan is cackling as she heads back inside, to go rub in Evan’s face how he lost the bet to her and Wes. She and Wes had betted that Junmyeon’s animosity was just sexual frustration but Evan had a higher opinion of his idol detective Junmyeon Kim. Oh, she is going to gloat about this so much on his face!

Junmyeon groans as he watches Kiernan leave. “I knew those fuckers would do something like this.”

Yifan chuckles, “They don’t mean any harm.” He kisses Junmyeon’s cheek and says, “Come stay over tonight, okay? I will make you hotpot.”

“I’d love that,” Junmyeon smiles as his disdain for his fellow colleagues melted away at the kiss. “And then we can go for ice cream?” When Yifan nods, grinning widely, Junmyeon can’t resist as he pulls down the taller for another breath-taking kiss. They pull back for air and as Junmyeon smiles up at Yifan, he can’t help but fall some more for the man. Stripped of all his enigma, Yifan is sweet, beautiful, brilliant, kind and just, so terribly wonderful, and Junmyeon is glad he walked into that pet shop so many days ago.


End file.
